Università Roma Tre

The debate on the scarcity of natural resources, the implications for economic development and growth and future scenarios includes very different currents of thought and visions. Specific skills are therefore needed to operate within the entrepreneurial and public contexts active in the sectors of the production of goods and the provision of services related to the exploitation, definition of the price and management of natural resources and the environment.
The course addresses the economic and environmental implications of natural resource management. The course covers conceptual and methodological topics and natural resource allocation problems. It introduces students to the principles, reasoning and techniques necessary to analyse the economic policy instruments related to natural resource management and sustainable use.
Students will acquire a solid understanding of the economic factors that influence the extraction, allocation and conservation of renewable (with particular reference to the case of marine and forest resources) and non-renewable (fossil fuels, mineral resources) resources, as well as an adequate study of the possible policies for efficient and sustainable management of these resources. Topics covered include resource scarcity, property rights, market failure, externalities, optimal extraction and conservation, and intervention politics.
Students will have to be able to critically process the information acquired according to interdisciplinary interpretations and acquire an autonomous ability to discuss and critically evaluate problems related to environmental exploitation and ecological transition and to evaluate policies related to their management. The aim of the course is to make students develop the ability to deal with the study of advanced textbooks, reports and materials related to environmental phenomena and policies produced by governments, environmental protection agencies and international organizations. The in-depth work in groups will offer an opportunity to experiment and consolidate forms of participatory and interactive learning and one's ability to work in groups.
Course Objectives:
• Understand the fundamental concepts and theories in natural resource economics.
• Analyze the economic drivers and impacts of natural resource extraction and use.
• Examine the role of market mechanisms and government interventions in resource management.
• Evaluate the sustainability of resource use and develop strategies for conservation.
• Apply economic models and tools to real-world resource management problems.